Septoplasty surgery is a procedure used to correct a deviated septum, which is a deformity of the thin wall within the nose that divides your two nasal passages. During the surgical procedure, your nasal septum is moved back into an ideal position so that you no longer experience pain, can breathe easily through your nose, and to alleviate any other symptoms that the deviated septum caused before surgery. This procedure may require parts of your nasal septum to be removed or trimmed so that your septum can be repositioned correctly.

If you believe that you will benefit from septoplasty surgery, set up a consultation with a rhinoplasty surgeon who will be able to perform an exam and determine if surgery is required. Many people with deviated septums find that the quality of their life improves significantly once the deviated septum is corrected. For instance, you may find that you sleep better at night since you will be able to breathe much more freely.

In some cases, septoplasty and turbinate reduction are used in conjunction. Patients who experience chronic nasal obstruction that cannot be treated with nonsurgical methods often find relief through turbinate reduction. When septoplasty is used with turbinate reduction, small portions of structures within the nose known as turbinates are excised or modified in a way that eliminates nasal obstruction.

How much does septoplasty cost? The answer to this question depends on the specific details of your surgery. It is important to discuss your options with a rhinoplasty surgeon who can explain all associated costs.

Septoplasty recovery also depends on each individual case. Some people recover within days while others find that it takes months before they feel completely back to normal. Again, set up a consultation with an experienced rhinoplasty surgeon to learn more about the procedure, to determine if it is right for you, and to gain a better understanding of the associated costs and recovery time.

Sleeping and your breathing – the impact of a blocked nose

Is your nose getting the way of a good night’s sleep? It might surprise you to read that there are a few reasons that your sleep is interrupted, and that the main culprit is your nose!

Nasal structure

The nose is not just a small piece of flesh and cartilage on the front of the face, but is instead a relatively complex series of channels that are meant to help with breathing. For example, there are areas of the nose designed specifically to moisten and heat the air as it enters the body. There are areas meant to filter out dust and debris. There are also the areas meant to help with the draining of the sinuses. And any one of these regions can develop problems that impair breathing and disrupt sleep.

Deviated Septum – the septum is the cartilage that divides the two nasal passages and if there is any part of this “structure” that is out of alignment it can cause difficulty with breathing, and can most certainly lead to sleep disturbances;

Nasal Turbinates – inside of the nose are small structures made of cartilage that are in place to moisturize and purify air that heads through the nose and into the lungs. If they swell and impede the airways inside of the nose, this too is going to cause problems with sleeping.

What is interesting is that those with deviated septums are actually quite likely to also end up with problems with their nasal turbinates. This is why combination surgeries are a frequent tactic used to alleviate the issues and to help someone get a regular night’s sleep.

The surgeries are known, respectively, as septoplasty or turbinate reduction. The septoplasty removes the cartilage that is misshapen and allows the channels inside of the nose to be much freer and more open. The same applies to turbinate reduction, which also takes away the excess or swollen mucous membranes in order to prevent them from further blocking the passage of air.

So, yes, these procedures are a form of surgery, but they are known as “local” procedures because you are only mildly sedated when the work is done. The recovery time is minimal, but there is a period in which you have to allow yourself to heal before doing things that might be considered “high impact”. For example, running or playing aggressive sports are definitely out of the question.

Who Can Help

An “ear nose and throat” specialist, or ENT, is the person who will handle this sort of procedure. Though many people actually discover that their nose is what is ruining their sleep when they first head to a regular or general practitioner.

It is important to remember that not all conditions are the same in terms of their seriousness. You may hear from a friend or family member that a deviated septum is not a big deal, or that they had the same sort of issue and it was remedied without a lot of difficulty. This may or may not be the case, but it is only your experienced ENT who can tell you of the severity of your condition.

Whether you have only one or both issues with your nose, and whether you get good or bad sleep because of it, you do want to address any problems with the inner structures of the nose. They are only going to worsen over time and living with a chronic sense of congestion or with difficulty sleeping and breathing is not something to dismiss or to treat lightly. Your ENT Clinic is a great solution to an annoying and disruptive condition.

If you have concerns about sleeping and your breathing contact your local doctor who will arrange for you to see an ear nose throat specialist.

In order to recover from a cold more quickly, your body needs plenty of recuperative rest. This can be much easier said than done. Going about your normal routine all day with a cold is already quite exhaustive, but often when you are ready to get a good night’s sleep, sleep does not come. Sleeping with a cold can feel next to impossible if your nasal passages are blocked and you cannot breathe normally. Fortunately, there are a few ways you can improve your ability to breathe during a cold, allowing for better sleep.

Elevate your head and neck

By elevating the top portion of your body slightly, you can reduce the blood flow in the head. This can help lessen the inflammation causing the sinuses to be restricted. It is important to elevate both the head and neck in a way that does not require your neck to be bent. If you simply prop your head up using a mountain of pillows, your neck will be bent, which can make it harder to breathe and cause soreness.

A good way to achieve the elevation you need is to raise the end of the mattress, or the end of the bed, that is under your head. You do not need to make the elevation so steep that the bed becomes dangerous. A few inches are enough to make a difference.

Clear the Sinuses with Steam Before Bed

Steam and humidity can help reduce congestion by causing the lining of the passages to constrict and the sinuses to drain. There are many ways that you can achieve this affect:

Take a hot shower

Eat a bowl of hot soup

Sip from a cup of hot tea or decaffeinated coffee

Any method of introducing steam to the nasal passages will result in a relief of stuffy cold symptoms. Implementing these methods just before you are ready to go to bed may relieve your cold symptoms long enough for your to fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.

Encourage Good Sleeping Habits

Having good sleep habits are important whether or not you are suffering from a cold, but can make a big difference when sleep is more challenging. The first step is to avoid bad habits that can discourage sleep such as watching TV in bed or drinking caffeinated or alcoholic beverages at night.

The best way to develop good and healthy sleep habits is to develop a routine or schedule. Regardless of whether you have appointments or obligations at a set time, designate a reasonably early time that you will always get up in the morning, and a set bedtime as well. If you stick to this set schedule long enough, your body will respond and grow accustomed to the schedule. Your body will grow into a habit of falling to sleep at a regular time. This will increase your chances of being able to go to sleep at your intended bedtime, even if you are suffering from a cold.

Using Cold Remedy Products

There are plenty of great cold related products that are designed to make sleeping easier, aside from sleep inducing medications. These include:

Nasal Strips – These are adhesive strips that are applied to the nose that pull outward slightly in order to gently enable to nasal passages to open.

Nasal Sprays – A saline spray can be used to rinse out the nasal passages in order to open them. It is essential that you use these products as directed.

Mentholated Gel – While these gels do not actually clear the nasal passages, the cooling affect achieved from their application helps people feel more relaxed and improves the ability to rest with a cold.